


Same/Difference

by JʼLi (kibigo)



Series: Two Adult Women [2]
Category: Super Smash Brothers
Genre: Deep Conversations, Enigmatic lesbians, F/F, First Dates, Gen, High French Theory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-10-30 13:25:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17829398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kibigo/pseuds/J%CA%BCLi
Summary: Samus and Bayonetta go on their first date—itʼs nothing special.Bayonetta, on the other hand…





	Same/Difference

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Super Sleuth Brothers Ultimate](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17673131) by [Normal_Ghost](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Normal_Ghost/pseuds/Normal_Ghost). 



> I was fishing around for a good datetime conversation, and for some reason ( hmm ) landed myself in the middle of some High French Theory. Is it just me or would Bayonetta be deep into Cixous ?

« Nothing fancy » was right : This wasnʼt even a real restaurant. They were in the campus café, beïng served their meals by Mr. Game & Watch — having side‑jobs was evidently pretty common in this season of Smash.

The two orders, as follows : For Samus : a black‑bean burger, fries, a Coke ; for Bayonetta : a mac‑and‑cheese bake, Sprite, a breadstick : slower eating, good for twirling around on the end of a fork to accentuate oneʼs point — Samus mostly resigned to a nod and mumble from behind the breadth of her burg.

A setup which suited them perfectly : Bayonetta, as it turned out, loved to talk ( far more than listen ) ; and Samus was the opposite, strangely enraptured by this enigma who sat before her —

— dressed for the occasion ; face and hair, all done up ; dress — not too revealing, but not subtle either, a certain sort of ‘ flashy elegance ’, like those seen at awards shows, but more… self‑assured, more a ‘ presentation ’ than a ‘ statement ’, a visible display of self‑knowledge and self‑confidence — unlike Samus, not at all prepped, wearing a light winter coat over a worn T‑shirt, holey 501s, « absolutely rocking the butch æsthetic », according to Bayonetta —

— because apparently ‘ not giving a fuck ’ was a fashion statement now.

― So, youʼre discomforted, right ? Bayonetta said, washing down a bite with a sip. ― As a woman : Youʼre discomforted — because : You know what itʼs like to be on the other side of that ; you canʼt just enjoy it uncritically — but at the same time, ⟨ she took another bite ⟩ the option of identifying — as you would — with the victim is foreclosed to you, because thatʼs the nature of objectification ( right ? ) ; you are forced ⟨ and another swallow of Sprite ⟩ into this other subject‑position, to embody the very gaze which caused you harm —

Samus broke for fries. ― Forced ? she asked, licking the salt off her fingers. ― Feel like I would put the book down and walk away.

― Okay, so, Bayonetta laughed. ― Missy. Whereʼs the fun in that ?

They definitely had different tastes. Well — that was apparent just by looking at them, but it only became more clear as the night went on. But : Not in a bad way. Samus would have liked to think of herself as a fairly down‑to‑earth sort of person, concerned with the state of how things were, how they werenʼt, how to get there. Bayonetta… seemed to dwell less on the specifics of how things were, and more on how they felt : the experience.

― I think thatʼs really important, that — do you mind ? She reached for one of Samusʼs fries. ― Mm. Beïng confronted like that. Itʼs terrifying, right ? ⟨ she adjusted her glasses ⟩ seeing yourself in that position — acknowledging that there really isnʼt anything inherent separating you from those who hurt you. Youʼre discomforted — but where is the source of that discomfort located ? Not in your antagonists : in yourself.

― …Give me an example, Samus said.

― Alright, so : Something Iʼll hear women saying to me is like, ⟨ and she emphasized the « me » knowingly ⟩ « youʼre eye candy ; youʼre just playing into the male gaze » — and Samus remembered having those very thoughts, ― but am I ? Or are you : Youʼre the one whoʼs looking, not me. She finished her breadstick with a flourish. ― I think thatʼs what makes people uncomfortable — donʼt you ? — theyʼre uncomfortable with themselves, with their own reactions, with how similar they are to people they donʼt want to be. Bayonetta patted her mouth with her napkin. ― But hereʼs what I think : Knowing that youʼre capable of dark and terrible things ? Thatʼs the first step to knowing better.

Their food finished : Samus, with nothing to distract her anymore ; Bayonetta, moving back and forth with the conversation, full of body language— 

— not that its meaning was entirely clear. There was something about her which made one want to pay attention — not with the intention of decyphering, but to understand. She was unfamiliar ; a shadowy figure — but the path to familiarity was not through rejection, but… listening very hard.

― I think youʼre probably full of shit, Samus said, ― but, Iʼm not sure.

― Oh, Iʼm definitely full of shit, Bayonetta laughed. ― But then again : Isnʼt that what this tournament is all about ? Out there, we may be heroes, villains, demons, goddesses… but in here ? We have to acknowledge that maybe weʼre not so different, after all.

Samus thought of Ridley. She frowned. ― Surely youʼre not saying I should sympathize —

― Iʼm saying, Bayonetta cut in, ― that if you really think youʼre better than them… youʼd better make damn sure you win.

It felt like a challenge and a promise all in one phrase.

**Author's Note:**

> I mean can you just imagine Bayonetta walking up to Bowser and being all « [Castration or Decapitation ?](https://fleurmach.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/cixous-helene-kuhn-annette-castration-or-decapitation.pdf) Your choice » Thanks For Reading Bye  —


End file.
